Method of and apparatus for manufacturing upholstery.



PATENTED-MAY 16, 1905.

A. I H A.-F. SGHRAM I A METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING UPHOLSTBRY.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16. 1904.

avwehtoz AdolpkJZScfiramm UNITED "STATES Patented May 16, 1905.

PAT NT OFFICE.

ADOLPH F. SCI-IRAMM, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR. TO THE E. M. HULSE COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING UPHOLSTERY- SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO- 790,159, dated May 16, 1905.

' Application filed June 16,1904. Serial No. 212,830-

To all whom it may concern.- "Be it known that I, AnoLrr-r F. SOHRAMM, citizen of the United States, residing at C0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Manufacturing Upholstery; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

I-Ieretofore the heads or ends of the fastening ,devices or buttons, so called, used to connect the facing or top covering and backing in upholstery have been exposed at the top and sides or edges.

' The object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and means for expeditiously producing such work with the buttons or heads of the fastening devices concealed.

The invention consists in the method and construction as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating embodiments of the several features of the invention, Figure 1 is a sectional view of a board or base constituting the form, show ing also how it'is used in carrying out the method where the covering material is of cloth. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing how the apparatus is used where the covering ma terial is of leather. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a fraction of the form at one of its ends. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing one variety of button or fastening. Fig. 5 is a similar view of another varietyof button or fasteners. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing a small fraction of a pin-rail with pins secured thereon to receive the variety of button or fastening shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a sectional View illustrating how the button or fasteneris sccured at the outer side of the backing material.

Like characters of reference in the several views designate corresponding parts.

The board or form 1 is shown to have inner or main pin-rails 1 and supplemental or outer pin-rails 1 all parallel to each other.

2 designates pins which are preferably secured to the pin-rails equidistantly apart.

These pins' are adapted to penetrate the fabric-or covering material and permit the material to be readily lifted or raised therefrom without removing them from the rails.

Between the pin-rails are valleys, usually curved in cross-section to give the desired shape to the upper surface of the pad or upholstered body.

As before indicated, the apparatus may be used to manufacture upholstery the top covering or facing of which is either of cloth or leather. In Fig. 1 is illustrated the method of using the apparatus where the covering material is of cloth. In Fig. 2 is illustrated the method of using apparatus where the top covering material is of leather. It will be understood, of course, that these twoviews illustrate the pad or upholstery in inverted position and that the upper or top covering material lies next to the form. Referring particularly to Fig. 1., the character 3 designates the cloth constituting the main or central portion of the top covering material, and 3 the portions of cloth covering the rolls at the edges. The central portion 3 is stitched at its edges to one of the edges ofeach of the pieces 3 to form welts. The portions 3 can also be formed with similar welts. The fabric thus constructed is first put face down upon the form with the pins 2 penetrating the fabric along a line adjacent to the welts. The

headed fastening devices or buttons 5 are .then passed through the welts and placed upon the pins 2, the latter extending up through the holes in the heads of the fastening devices. The ends of the fastening devices are then covered by suitable protect laid over the stuffing material and pressed down, a follow-board being employed, as usual, so that the penetrating ends of the buttons or fastening devices shall be pro jected up through the backing, after which said ends are upset or otherwise secured at the outer side of said backing material. It will be desirable to interpose washers 7 or other devices between the upset ends of the fastening devices and the backing to prevent them from pulling through the backing, as indicated in Fig. 7. Referring now more particularly to Fig. 2, in which is illustrated the method followed where leather is used as the top covering material, 4 designates that portion which constitutes the main or central part of the top covering, and 4 the portions that finally cover the rolls at the edges. The portions 4 and 4 are stitched together along their edges with a supplemental strip of burlap 4 to form a welt and an inner or supplemental covering for the rolls. Burlap is thus incorporated with leather in forming the welts because of the unsightliness of holes punched in the exposed portions of leather, and, further, because leather, especially if of the artificial variety, does not ordinarily afford a sufficiently tough and durable material for securing the buttons; but burlap will not only brace the leather where it is punctured at the welts, but also afford a strong anchorage for the fastening devices. After the leather and burlap have been duly stitched together to form the welts the whole is placed down on the form, as indicated in Fig. 2, the leather portion of the roll-covering material 4 being temporarilyfolded under the central portion 4 and the pins of the main and supplemental rails passed up through the burlap along the line of the welt and through the outer portion of the supplementing burlap. The buttons or fastening devices 5 are then passed through the welts and the burlap and seated on the pins of the pin-rails, as indicated in Fig. 2. The ends of the buttons or fastening devices are then protected by bars, as before, and the stuffing material put in place. After this the protecting-bars are removed and the backing material 6, of burlap, spread over the stuffing material and ressed down on the penetrating ends of the fastening devices or buttons until they project through the burlap, after which said ends are secured at the outer side of the backing, as before described.

In the manufacture of some styles of upholstery one roll edge only is used. In such case only three of the pin-rails in the form will be used.

In Fig. 5 the head of the button instead of being provided with a single central hole is, as shown in Fig. 4, provided with two open ings in diametrically opposite edges. If this variety of button be used, a double pin in the pin-rails for each of the buttons will be needed. It will be noted, however, that either form of button is secured from lateral movement on the pins of the pin-rail when seated thereon.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The method of manufacturing roll-edge upholstery consisting in providing the under side of the main or top covering material with a welt along the line of division between the roll-edge-covering portion and the bodycovering portion thereof, placing the material over a suitable former provided with pins and temporarily securing said material on said pins along a line adjacent to said welt, passing headed fastening devices through said welt, placing and supporting said fastening devices and welt on said pins, placing the filling material upon said covering material and thereafter placing a backing material over said filling material and passing the fastening devices through said backing material and securin g the same at the outer side of the backing material.

2. In apparatus for manufacturing rolledge upholstery, the combination of a form having three or more substantially parallel rows of pin-rails with valleys between them, pins adapted to penetrate the covering material and permit the lifting of the latter there from, secured on said rails, and fabric-penetrating upholstery fastening devices adapted. to be secured to the covering material and seated on said pins above the covering material.

3. I11 apparatus for the manufacture of upholstery the combination with a former having raised portions adapted to form depressions in the upholstery, of pins projecting from said raised portions adapted to penetrate the upholstery covering material and permit the latter to be readily raised or lifted therefrom, headed fabric-penetratin g fastening devices adapted to be secured to said covering material, each of said fastening devices being provided with a hole through its head whereby it may be placed upon and supported by said pins above the covering material and secured. from lateral movement thereon.

In testimony whereof I al'iix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ADOLPH F. SCHRAMM.

Witnesses C. J. HUTSON,

GEORGE M. FINoKEL. 

